Exploring Jakarta is definitely not a piece of cake. Most of the established restaurants and cafes are located either in the central or south of Jakarta. Try making a suggestion to travel over to the East of Jakarta for dinner and you’ll probably be rewarded with confused glares from your peers. However, it is definitely not because there isn’t any quality spots in the East of Jakarta. The problem lies on the fact that the latter is an area that is seldom explored.

That is why it would be a shame to miss out Handayani Prima just because of its less than ideal address. Luckily, though the location might not be ideal, it didn’t stop the loyal supporters from continuing to frequent the restaurant. Government officials are a common sight especially during lunchtime.

Established since 1987, Handayani Prima nails down the key element of what makes Indonesian cuisine truly Indonesian, which is the seasonings. Such attribute can be found in their Grilled Gourami, a popular fish in Indonesian cuisine, to the simple Stir Fried Baby Kailan that sets off complex flavour with each bite.

Handayani Prima also provides alternative options to the menu. Try out its Fried Pigeon if the appearance of chicken on your plate is starting to get insipid. Those who are looking to get a little messy in their meal should try out Kol Nenek – sea snails that are cooked with black pepper and “tauco” (a type of sauce made from fermented soya beans). But rookies be warned – for plenty of mouth suction force is required to extract the meat, making it not the ideal dish for a first date.

Ottoman’s Coffee Brewers is expanding its territory in South of Jakarta with a modish new venue in Cilandak Town Square, full of crowd-pleasing coffee, exceptional food and cocktails with attitude to amp it all up.